La etimología y la motivación de las palabras, y su proyección cultural

Abstract

If one tries to establish a relationship between lexicon and culture (a relationship which is, on the one hand, indisputable), there is a basic and primitive component that we should not forget when addressing the issue, regardless of the languages concerned, and, in particular if we refer to Romance languages, like Spanish. This component is represented by the etymology and motivation behind words, that is, their origin, cause, or reasons: the very beginning of the journey made by the units that make up the lexicon. In this paper, in addition to defining these concepts and demonstrating their interest, we will analyse some of their dimensions and projections, paying special attention to the motivation behind toponymy, through its important contribution to other disciplines and to culture in general.